Pickled mussels

Now you can get ready because you are going to make homemade pickled mussels! Virginia, author of Sweet&Sour , gives you the recipe to make this delight, an ideal recipe for appetizers and salads.

Do you like canned mussels? Today we show you how to prepare them quickly at home , in the blink of an eye, saving not only a few euros out of our pocket, because it is bad that the preserves weigh us down, they are not especially cheap, but all the preservatives and salts that these preserves incorporate to go to market.

Mussels are molluscs that are not only quite cheap , but also loaded with minerals such as iron, and vitamins, especially A, B12, B9 and C, as well as an important protein load, which does not provide much fat and very few calories. They are delicious steamed, but don't tell me you don't like those cans of pickled mussels?

Few of those ingredients that you already have in the pantry, 20 minutes and your pickled mussel preserve is ready . Of course, choose a good extra virgin olive oil .

Luigi Bormioli hermetic glass jars and Evolution Le Creuset round cocotte .

Ingredients

• 2 kg of fresh mussels
• 250ml of white wine (albariño, txakolí)
• 250ml of extra virgin olive oil
• 200ml of wine vinegar
• 125ml of cooking water from the mussels, previously strained
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon of sweet Paprika from La Vera
• 1 cayenne (if you like it spicy)

Preparation

1. Remove mussels that have broken shells or do not close by tapping them with your finger. Clean them well under running tap water, remove their beards and scrub the shell with a brush , small knife or clean scouring pad to remove impurities.
2. Put the "Le Creuset" cocotte on the fire with the glass of white wine and 1 bay leaf. Add the mussels and cover with the lid. After 2-3 minutes, with a slotted spoon , remove the mussels that are already open and cover again. So until all the mussels are open. Discard those that have not opened at the end, it is a sign that they were not alive.
3. Strain the water with wine that has remained in the casserole and reserve.
4. Remove the shells from the mussels and keep them warm, covered with part of the cooking water.
5. In a high saucepan , put the oil, the minced garlic, a bay leaf, some slightly crushed black pepper over medium heat and if you like it spicy, a cayenne pepper. Let the oil infuse and after about 10 minutes, after the garlic has turned coloured, add the tablespoon of paprika off the heat, stirring well with a wooden spoon so that it does not burn.
6. Return the mixture to the heat and cool it, adding the glass of vinegar and 125ml of the water used to cook the mussels.
7. Let the mixture come to a boil and then remove from the heat. Let it temper.
8. Meanwhile, drain and dry the reserved mussels well and fill the previously sterilized Luigi Bormioli jars . Coat all the mussels with the marinade mixture.
9. Let it cool down, close the jars and put it in the fridge.
10. It is preferable to leave this preserve at least overnight, before consuming, to allow the flavors to settle.

Hermetic glass jars Luigi Bormioli

Tips

1. I advise you to use the 200ml Luigi Bormioli jars preferably, and 350ml to have preserves for when we are going to have a larger number of diners or guests.
2. To fill the jars I use the funnel with an adjustable neck for canning , because it prevents you from spilling the marinade mixture and dirtying the jar that you have already sterilized.
3. These jars are ideal for this type of canning, because they make a vacuum and are easy to open just by pulling the tab on the rubber.

To enjoy.